Easy Eggless Fruitcake Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies - with Gluten-Free and Vegan option

Christmas baking will never be the same in my household.  Now that I have food allergies/sensitivities, I include gluten-free and vegan baking into my repertoire.  So far, I have had very good luck choosing recipes to try. 

Here is the gluten-free and vegan version of a classic:  slice and bake shortbread cookies.  I came across this recipe for Eggless Tutti Fruitti Cookies. I didn't have "Tutti Fruitti" mix but it's the same as chopped glace fruit used in fruitcakes.  I even added yellow and dark raisins into the mix.  For those that are not keen on glace fruit, you can use dried chopped fruit such as raisins, apricots, dried cranberries, dried cherries or dates.  The possibilities are endless!  

Eggs are an important binder used in gluten-free baking but alas, there are people who cannot use eggs.  Since this recipe is already eggless, I know that the dough would hold.  

The replacements used in gluten-free and vegan baking differ with respect to mouthfeel, texture, taste and presentation.  It is a precious treat for those who can enjoy something equivalent to a classic recipe.   

My tip for gluten-free and vegan baking:  replace the wheat flour with all-purpose gluten-free flour in vegan recipes.  The recipes are already egg-less and dairy-free!  I simply peruse the vast number of vegan (dairy-free and egg-free) recipes and replace the wheat flour with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.  

I am in the middle of experimenting with a box of King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour Mix.  I bought in on sale during my trip to Hawaii.  Basically, it is a mix of white and brown rice flours with tapioca and potato starch.  You can easily find recipes online to mix your own favourite gluten-free flour. It doesn't have a I like Sarah's Gluten-Free Flour Blend recipe. 

After freezing the dough logs overnight (optional), the dough was a little crumbly when I sliced it for baking.  Luckily, I was still able to press the dough together into each cookie with success!  Next time, I may add a bit of vanilla and almond extract, as my classic fruitcake recipe has amaretto in it.  In addition, I have made this recipe with all-purpose wheat flour and butter with no complaints.  

Easy Eggless Fruitcake Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies - Gluten-Free & Vegan option
makes about 2 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour, gluten-free* or wheat
*1/4 tsp xanthan gum if your gluten-free flour blend does not have a stabilizer/binder
1/3 cup softened butter or vegan butter/margarine 
1/2 cup icing/powdered sugar
1/3-1/2 cup Deluxe holiday mix, glace red & green cherries or a mixture of your favourite dried fruit bits (e.g. yellow/dark raisins, apricot, prunes, dried dates, dried cherries or dried cranberries)  
1 to 2 Tbsp water or milk (Use only as needed.  I used water.  For gluten-free flour, I only needed a splash to get the dough to bind.  For all-purpose flour, I needed the full 2Tbsp water) 

Beat softened butter with icing/powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in flour and fruit mix.

Add enough milk/water to form a soft dough.  Shape into log,  wrap with plastic wrap or parchment paper and freeze for 40 minutes to firm up.  (I have found that freezing the dough is not necessary, but if your dough is very soft, freezing it would help make the dough easier to slice.)

Slice logs into about 1/4" thick slices.  If the dough crumbles, press the dough into each cookie.  Bake about 10-12 minutes in preheated oven 350F.  

- Adapted from Sharmis Passion's:  Eggless Fruit Cookies/Tutti Fruitti Cookies

Fruitcake cookies made with Deluxe Holiday Mix, all-purpose wheat flour and butter.  

I am pretty amazed how versatile and forgiving this recipe is with the substitutions made!  I have a few days left before Christmas to get things in order.  I'm trying not to stress.  I just do my best and trust that somehow everything will fall into place. 

Enjoy!

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Reduced Sugar Cranberry Butter Tart Squares

It has been so long since my last post!  I was extremely busy in October and November and didn't have time to blog.  Also, we just got back from my brother's dream beach wedding in Hawaii last week.  Trying to adjust from Honolulu's +30C to 100 Mile House's -30C weather was quite a shock now that we are back home!  

Luckily, it's -2C and I'm finally starting to get into the Christmas baking season!

With a few basic ingredients, I wanted to make something fast, easy and buttery but not too sweet.   The cranberry butter tart squares were inspired by this reduced sugar butter tart squares recipe.  Butter tart squares are a great addition to any Christmas cookie platter.  

I used dried cranberries when I didn't have enough raisins.  Hubby said that they were the best butter tart squares I have ever made!  The tanginess of the dried cranberries made the squares less sweet.  Substituting with alternate ingredients can create something even better!  

This recipe has eggs, butter and gluten.  I plan to create a gluten-free and vegan equivalent of this recipe later on so I can eat them too!  

Reduced Sugar Cranberry Butter Tart Squares

makes 1- 9"x13" pan

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup butter

Topping:

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 eggs,  lightly beaten

2 cups light brown sugar (I used only 1 1/4 cup!)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 pinches salt

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup dried cranberries (instead of 2 cups raisins)

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (I omitted)
optional:  powdered/icing/confectioner's sugar

In bowl, combine flour with sugar; with pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Press into 9x13-inch pan; bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 minutes.

Topping: In bowl, mix together butter and eggs; blend in sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Stir in raisins and pecans; pour over base.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days or overwrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.) Cut into squares.

Optional:  dust with powdered icing sugar right before serving for prettier presentation. 

- Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine: July 2009

Enjoy!

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Double Chocolate Chip Smarties Cookies

I wanted to bake something chocolatey!  I dug around my pantry and found a box of Smarties (candy covered chocolate buttons), random small bars of white and dark chocolate, some chocolate coins and a few Hershey kisses.  I chopped all the chocolate up and ended up with 3/4 cup of mixed chocolate chunks.  The original recipe calls for 2 cups of chocolate chips.  I didn't have enough chocolate chips, so I topped each cookie with a Smartie.  I don't think anyone noticed that I used less than half of the amount of chocolate chips!  

We had a play group last night.  I thought it would be nice to bring an after dinner treat.  Due to my food allergies, I have not tasted this recipe before!  I put all my trust onto my kiddies.  Yes, my "quality control team" consisted of a 3, 5 and 8-year old.  They said they were good and that was enough for me!  

This recipe was quick and easy to make.  The true test was when the kiddies at the play group wanted to have a second cookie right after they inhaled the first one!  I think putting a Smartie onto each cookie really added some "kiddie pizzaz" to the presentation.  

Whew!  The cookies passed "quality assurance" with flying colours! 

Double Chocolate Chip Smarties Cookies
makes about 4 dozen

1 cup butter, softened (I used non-hydrogenated soft margarine)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I only used 3/4 cup mix of white, milk & dark chocolate chunks + 1 Smartie candy on top of each cookie)
Smarties, optional (1 for each cookie, if desired)

Preheat oven to 350F

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  (Decorate cookies with candy, if desired).  

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven, or just until set.  Cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.  

- Adapted from Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies I

We didn't have very many cookies left over.  I used a 1" cookie scoop and ended up with 56 cookies.  I brought 3 dozen to the playgroup, gave away 1 dozen and packed a few for school lunches.  After less than 24 hours, I only have 3 cookies left!  Just enough for each kiddie to enjoy after school with a cold glass of milk.  

Enjoy!

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Piped Butter Cookies (or Whipped Shortbread Cookies)

My family adores the classic piped butter cookies from European bakeries.  Sadly, our local Swiss bakery closed its doors forever on Christmas Eve and we cannot enjoy our favourite European baked goodies from there anymore. 

Making these light, crispy cookies has eluded me for YEARS.  The batter was either too stiff for my hands to pipe from a pastry bag or I would get pools of shapeless blobs.  I am recovering from carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis in my wrists, so my weak hands could not squeeze the tough cookie dough out of the pastry bag.  I stopped trying.  

The other day, I stumbled across a "Whipped Shortbread" recipe. I have not tried whipping the dough for 10 minutes before piping and it required only 3 simple ingredients:  butter, icing sugar and flour. Not the healthiest, but I really wanted to try this.   

I was not sure about whipping the cookie dough for 10 minutes with my powerful KitchenAid stand mixer.  All over the net, this recipe appeared to be a classic, so I assumed that this was written for a hand mixer.  I used my KitchenAid stand mixer and decreased the time to 5 minutes. 

I have only made this once with success and I hope the results are the same every time.  

Whipped Shortbread Cookies
makes about 40 cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup icing sugar (sift before measuring)
1 cup softened butter
- optional:  pieces of glace cherries, chocolate chunks, etc.  

Preheat oven to 350F.  Sift flour and sugar together and set aside.

Beat softened butter with mixer until light and fluffy.  Add dry ingredients gradually on low speed until well mixed then beat the dough for 5-10 minutes until light and fluffy.  

Spoon dough onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.  If desired, pipe with a pastry bag and star tip in different shapes onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Optional:  place a piece of cherry onto the middle of each cookie. 

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.  Let cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before placing them on a rack to cool.  

- Adapted from Whipped Shortbread Cookies and Allrecipes.com: Whipped Shortbread Cookies

My personal notes with the KitchenAid stand mixer: 

• I didn't use softened butter (too impatient), I diced up the cold butter into small pieces and beat it with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes.   
• After adding the flour/sugar mixture, mix for 2 minutes on low/medium to make dough.  Change to the wire whisk attachment and whip the dough for 5 minutes, instead of 10.  The dough will have a soft, fluffy, aerated texture that makes piping a breeze.  
• I piped about 1 1/2" sized cookies with the Wilton 1M tip 
• Decorated with glace cherry pieces and baked for 11-13 minutes until edges were lightly browned.  
• I always check the cookies about 5 minutes before the recipe says it is done.  Every oven is different.  
• I was able to make about 60- 1 1/2" sized cookies from this batch.  

Success!  The whipped dough was effortless to pipe for my weak hands.  I placed the dough in a disposable plastic piping bag with a Wilton 1M star tip.  Again, I didn't get a chance to try them as I'm still gluten and dairy-free.  Hubby and the kids told me that they were better than our local Swiss bakery's!  What a way to make mommy's heart sing!

Enjoy! 

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Blueberry Crumb Bars

I was digging around the freezer and found some frozen blueberries.   Lately, I have been trying some new gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free recipes, but I wanted to make something easy, tried and true... and also DELICIOUS!  This is another classic recipe I should write down for the kiddies.  I have been making these squares for over 5 years!

Blueberry crumb bars came to mind.  I wasn't in the mood to make yummy blueberry muffins.  

I must thank Allrecipes.com for the wonderful selection of recipes.  What makes this website invaluable is the number of ratings and reviews for each recipe.  Reading the reviews from people who have made this recipe makes a world of difference for those who wonder if the recipe is good.  Looking at my binder full of printed recipes, I saw that it has been a while since I made Blueberry Crumb Bars.   I have brought these to potlucks and social gatherings with requests for this recipe.  

This recipe is very easy to put together.  I decreased the sugar and used butter instead of shortening.  The butter makes them smell scrumptious while baking!

Make the dough with a pastry blender and pat half of the crumbly flour mixture into a 9x13 greased pan.  Lightly pat the crust and smooth it evenly with the back of a tablespoon.

Next, spread the blueberry/sugar/cornstarch mixture evenly on top of the dough.  

Spoon the remaining dough evenly over the berry layer and pop in preheated oven. 

Bake in 375F oven for about 45 minutes or until top is slightly browned.  

The combination of butter, juicy blueberries and crunchy crust makes this an addictive square.  They may not look fancy but after one bite, you will want to reach for another one!

Blueberry Crumb Bars

1 cup white sugar (I used 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
3 teaspoons cornstarch 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon, if desired. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. 
Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.  

In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

- Adapted from Allrecipes.com: Blueberry Crumb Bars

To make them prettier, I dusted the blueberry bars with powdered/icing/confectioners' sugar.  Nessa brought these squares to her class for Snack Day with some strawberries and carrot cake.  She told me that everyone LOVED them!

Enjoy!

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Red Bean Puff Pastries

Happy Chinese New Year and Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day!  Last weekend, I drove down to Vancouver to spend Chinese New Year with family.  It was such a wonderful trip!  Yes, I drove all by myself with the three kiddies.  It was about 5-6 hour trip.  We had great music, the weather was gorgeous and the road conditions were clear.

Red Bean Palmiers (middle) and Dumplings (right)

Yesterday, it was "Everyone's Birthday".  Day 7 of the Chinese New Year Celebrations.   Chinese New Year is a 15 day celebration, where traditions dictate certain days for different activities.  We had another feast.  

Red bean pastries:  braided strudels, palmiers, dumplings and twists.

For dessert, I was inspired by traditional Chinese style deep fried dumplings with a sweet filling.  At a large chain Asian grocery store, they were filled with coconut, sugar and peanuts.  My grandmother always made them filled with red bean paste. 

Instead of deep-frying dumpling dough, I decided to use store bought puff pastry dough filled with red bean paste.  It was so much fun to play around with puff pastry!  

At my local grocery store, you can find frozen puff pastry in the frozen pie crust section.  I bought the red bean paste at an Asian grocery store.  I have also made red bean paste by cooking some dried aduki beans, mashing it up and then sweeten to taste, much like this recipe.   

Don't have red bean paste on hand?  You can use cinnamon sugar (3 Tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon), your favourite jam, chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella), or anything your heart desires!  This is the beauty of puff pastry:  you can be as creative as you like with the filling of your choice!

Red Bean (Heart) Palmiers

Spread red bean paste in a thin layer on a square piece of puff pastry.  Don't worry about being exact.  I made 6"x 6" for tiny and cute little cookies. 

Roll both sides to the centre of the square.   Make sure both rolls are equal in size.  It's not perfect, but it's still fun! Slice each cookie in 1/4" thick slices with a sharp knife.  

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I tried to make them heart shaped.  I pinched the bottom part together and made each "half" look more like a heart.  

They didn't really look like hearts, but that was OK.  They were so yummy! 

Red Bean Crossover Braided Strudels

Cut a rectangle of desired size. In the middle of the rectangle, spread or pipe a strip of red bean paste (or desired filling) down the length.  On both sides of the filling, make 1/4" slanted cuts cuts down.  Take each strip and cross over the filling, alternating sides like a braid.   I forgot to make measurements of the rectangles I cut, but the method is quite straightforward.  Brush with egg wash (optional) for golden colour and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden.   

Red Bean Puff Pastry Twists

Spread a thin layer of red bean paste on a rectangle sheet (I made 6" x 12").   Cut strips 1/4" to 1/2" apart. 

Twist each strip around to get the spiral effect and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake around 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.  

Red Bean Puff Pastry "Gok Jai" Dumplings

My grandmother used to make deep fried sweet chewy dumplings for Chinese New Year.  I remember how she used her wok to deep fry these pieces of nostalgia.  She is approaching 90 years young with macular degeneration (no central vision).  She doesn't cook anymore and I miss her feasts.  

Using puff pastry, I tried to make similar shaped dumplings.  They were the same size as a perogy.  No, it didn't taste the same, but still delicious.  I'll bet children will look back at Chinese New Year with the same nostalgia when I make this again.    

These were a hit!  My son ate at least 4 of these last night in one sitting!  He proclaimed that they were "SO GOOD!"

Red Bean Puff Pastries

1 400g package frozen puff pastry, thawed*
1 cup (approximate) red bean paste, chocolate hazelnut spread, cinnamon brown sugar mix (3 Tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon)
Egg wash, 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water, optional

*The amounts of these ingredients are approximate.  Be as creative as you like with your choice of filling and just go with it!  

Preheat oven 400F.  Dust work surface with flour.  Roll thawed puff pastry thin, about 1/8" to 1/4" thickness, in a square or rectangle shape.  I was able to roll it 1/8" (2mm) thin.  The thinner you roll, the more pastries you can make.  

Spread red bean paste (or desired filling) thinly with a knife or spatula.  Cut and shape pastries as desired.  Brush with egg wash for golden colour.  

Bake in oven for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.  Cool on rack.  Store in airtight container. 

Leftover red bean paste can be easily frozen and re-used again.  

- Adapted from What About Second Breakfast?: Cinnamon Sugar Puff Pastry Twists  

Happy Chinese New Year!  

Wishing you all Good Health, Happiness and Prosperity in the Year of the Snake!  

I think these pastries almost look like a snake!  

Enjoy!

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Chewy Coconut Cookies

I have been trying to catch up on my Christmas baking, but alas, EVERYTHING has been eaten up!  I made chewy coconut cookies the other day.  When my son came home from school, he was so excited to see a pile of them cooling on a wire rack.  With a glass of milk in one hand, he proclaimed that the cookies were SO GOOD.

It's a relief that they turned out good since I was planning to take them to a friend's house.  The taste of coconut is not for everyone.  My mother is not particular with coconut but we LOVE it.  

These cookies remind me of the Chinese coconut tarts sold in Chinese bakeries in Vancouver.  They taste like the filling without all the work of making the tarts! 

I have been making these cookies for over a year..  It is a nice change from chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies.  I am not sure if they are "kid-friendly", since coconut is not a classic kiddie flavour.  My children adore this sweet and chewy cookie with crisp outer edges.  

Chewy Coconut Cookies
makes about 2 dozen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (I used soft non-hydrogenated canola margarine)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flaked unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

- Adapted from Allrecipes.com:  Chewy Coconut Cookies

Enjoy!

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The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

Happy Halloween!  How can you resist a buttery, sweet sugar cookie on a dreary fall day?

This is my favourite "go-to" sugar cookie recipe. The ingredients are simple and the recipe is very straightforward.   It has never failed me and it is a DREAM to roll out.  The dough is soft and pliable -- wonderful to work with!  And believe me, I've baked enough treats.  I have even made some changes and the cookies are delicious.    

This recipe has been in my recipe collection for a few years now.  It was great to see my friend Lara post the same recipe on her blog The Wandering Fork a few weeks ago.  

I like to roll thin cookies for a sweet and crispy cookie.  Rolling the dough out thick (1/4" to 1/2")  will yield a nice soft cookie. I have made these lovely sugar cookies for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, birthdays, parties, etc.  It's a great addition to any event. Sugar cookies also make wonderful gifts.  I have packaged them in cute cookie tins and they were much appreciated!     

Note:  This recipe makes a lot of cookies.  I usually cut the recipe in half.  This time, I made the full recipe with the intent of sharing.  So far, I have baked about 5 dozen thin cookies with only half the dough!  

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies 
Makes 5 dozen, 2-inch cookies, rolled 1/4-1/2" thick

1 1/2 cups butter, softened  (I used 1/2 cup softened butter & 1 cup soft non-hydrogenated canola margarine)
2 cups white sugar (I decreased to 1 3/4 cup sugar)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 2 tsp)
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes for thick cookies, 4-6 minutes for thin cookies in preheated oven.  Cool completely.

- Adapted from Allrecipes.com:  The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Enjoy!

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Reduced Sugar Butter Tart Squares

In the middle of June, I had a craving for something that tasted like Christmas but it had to be easy, buttery and sweet.  Butter Tart Squares!  I like making one big pan full of yummy squares.  They are great for sharing!   

Butter tarts are a classic Canadian treat.  I usually see them on cookie platters around the holidays and Christmas.  These tarts are LOADED with sugar, raisins and nuts.  Classic ingredients for the holidays.

The original recipe was from Canadian Living Magazine.  I doubled the recipe to fit a 9"x13" pan but I cut the brown sugar in half!   Nuts were omitted due to nut allergies in the family.  I couldn't bring myself to use the whole amount of sugar.  

Everyone loved these squares!  Even with the reduced sugar, they were still sweet enough from the raisins and shortbread crust.  I don't like my treats tooth-achingly sweet, just sweet enough.  With butter.  For butter tart purists, you can add up to the full amount of sugar.  For us, it was tasty enough!  My son enjoyed each bite with his eyes closed...  YUM!

Reduced Sugar Butter Tart Squares

makes 1- 9"x13" pan

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/3 cup) 

1 cup butter

Topping:

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 eggs,  lightly beaten

2 cups light brown sugar (I used only 1 cup!)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 pinches salt

2 cups raisins (I used 1.5 cups)

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (I omitted)

In bowl, combine flour with sugar; with pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Press into 9x13-inch pan; bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 minutes.

Topping: In bowl, mix together butter and eggs; blend in sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Stir in raisins and pecans; pour over base.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days or overwrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.) Cut into squares.

- Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine: July 2009

Enjoy!

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100% Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is another classic treat in our household:  whole wheat chocolate chip cookies.  I used the famous Toll House cookie recipe and changed it a little.  I couldn't help myself. I made them with whole wheat flour!  

I have seen many chocolate chip cookie recipes that use a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.  Instead, I used all whole wheat flour and omitted the salt. 

Ever since I made them 100% whole wheat, it has been my reliable and most trustworthy chocolate chip cookie recipe for over 5 years.  The true test was when I made these cookies for my son's 4th birthday party, over 3 years ago.  I baked these cookies and the children ate them without noticing that they were whole wheat!  
  
It helped that I put one Smartie candy in the middle of each cookie.  No complaints at all!  They still have loads of fat and sugar, so consider them a heartier treat. 

  
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (I used 1 cup soft non-hydrogenated margarine)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used 1 cup brown sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips (I used 1 cup chocolate chips)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional, I omitted)

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts, if using). Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  At this point, I added 1 Smartie candy to each cookie before baking. 

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.  

  
- Adapted from Very Best Baking: Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Within a day, they were all gone!  We ate some and then shared the rest with our wonderful friends.  
Can you find the cookie with the hidden wink and smile?

Enjoy!

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